4.5 hrs
Got the Biennial Flight Review done today. My instructor put the hood on me right away and we flew up to Taylor (T74), where I botched the pattern for right 17 and had to go around. The subsequent landing was awful, so I took off and tried again. 2nd time was passable. We refueled and then back to Austin. He kept pulling the power out and asking what I would do in this scenario. I guess pushing the power back in isn't the answer he was looking for. He put me under the hood for the ILS back into Austin, so I got to log an approach! Unfortunately, my last rating was aquired in July, so I didn't get to count that time as PIC. But now I'm good to go again.

Stripped plastic from the 970 side skins and the 972 forward bottom skin. Got most of the edge deburring done for the 970 skins. Getting the chores done while I wait for the ELT to arrive. And the Sherwin Williams store where I buy primer is only open during the week. I hope to run up there tomorrow and get stocked up on primer. I'll prime the center section ribs this week, and hopefully get it riveted together by the end of next weekend.





A simple experiment of holding the side skins up to the aft fuselage shows how big the fuselage is going to be. The garage is about to get much smaller.

4.6 hrs
Started by taking apart the center section and deburring all the holes that were just drilled in the ribs.
Then cut a 5/8" hole in the inner baggage ribs at the front tooling hole to route wires for any electronics that get mounted under the baggage skins. I expect to put the ELT there, assuming it fits. Other builders put strobe power packs under there also. I hope to avoid any high voltage power packs, so the ELT is the only candidate right now.

Then stripped plastic and edge deburred all of the seat and baggage skins. Also deburred the holes drilled in them.

1.3 hrs
Drill seat and baggage skins for center cover screws.
Drill all the #40 platenut rivets and countersink.



Remove the 915 ribs, deburr, and prepare for platenuts.

2.0 hrs
Didn't use the clock, so this is a rough estimate. Spent a bunch of time playing with the new toys purchased at Oshkosh. Used some of them to work on the center section. The new toys include a US Tools squeezer (as part of a complete kit, at a price that used tools are selling at, if you can be the first in line! Shouldn't ever have to buy a squeezer die again!), a Smart Level, a shiny new Andair fuel valve, various drill bits, AN3-56 bolts for the brake pedals, 2 AeroLED 1600's to complete the leading edge light installation, and a Artex ME406 ELT with the whip antenna. That last one is being shipped.

Stopped by the Hooker Harness booth, and discovered that the Van's recommendation for the crotch strap bracket separation is wrong for the Hooker crotch straps. The standard Hooker design has three layers of material, which is too thick to fit in the 1/8" gap spec'd in the Van's instructions. I had just drilled all of those holes. Crap.

Scot with HH said they could build a harness to account for it, it would just have to be upside down.

I looked at the instructions after I got back, and realized that I had drilled and dimpled the flanges that are flush to the seat skin for a AN426AD3 rivets. But the holes need to be for a #8 screw and nutplates. So I just dropped in a 3/16 drill bit to set the spacing, and final drilled the brackets to #19.
Problem solved.

Then clecoed the baggage skins on and final drilled to the seat ribs. Waiting for the new ELT to get here so I can mod the baggage skins for mounting the ELT under them.

Oshkosh!

What can I say...

It was everything I expected and more. This was my first trip, I've been wanting to go for 20 years or more. Flew via the company plane to Midway in Chicago with Jim Darrah and his Dad, Bob.




Three amazing events stand out: First, the Virgin Galactic mothership. Second, the Airbus 380. Third, getting to meet a group of RV-9/9A builders at the Van's banquet, and getting to hear Terry Lutz talk about flying the Airbus 380.

Oshkosh was like a postcard!

The right plane on the second row is the little red RV-4, flown by Bill Gunn, that inspired my project!

Here's just a few pictures, more are in this Picassa page.

5.5 hrs
Got a bunch of work done, and it's still early. But I need to pack for Oshkosh, and watch the Mount Ventoux Tour de France stage.

Finish deburring ribs.
Dimple center section skin and ribs.



Cleco ribs and crotch strap brackets.
Attach seat skins.



Match drill seat skins to 915 ribs. U decided to do this now, instead of when the plans have it listed. I think I can control the accuracy a little better without the side skin in the way.

Final drill seat skins to 916 ribs.
Match drill crotch strap thru bolt to #30. Still need to final drill to 5/16.

Final drill and counter sink aft 904 spar to rib tab.
I can disassemble and prime the ribs now.

1.4 hrs
Finished match drilling the crotch strap assemblies to the ribs. Took it apart and deburred.






Also cut and deburred the holes in the 725 rib for the step.



Should finish all the center section prep work tomorrow, except for priming.
Then it's off to Oshkosh!